PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 20, 2025
The eastern coyote is often described as a newcomer. Yes and no. Some 60 million years ago, the order Carnivora first appeared in North America. Some diverged into doglike animals. Eventually, members of the dog family crossed the Bering land bridge to colonize Eurasia, Europe, and Africa. The gray wolf was such a species, spreading across the world, and then returning to North America. The coyote, on the other hand, never left North America. About 20,000 years ago, human hunters and their domesticated dogs arrived in North America. In the 15th century, domestic dogs were again introduced here, accompanied by Europeans. These breeds largely replaced those of the Native Americans. About 100 years ago, coyotes from Western North America entered the Great Lakes area and meet a decimated wolf population desperate for mates. Within a few decades, feral dogs were introduced into the mix. Today, we recognize the eastern coyote as having a genetic makeup of roughly 60% coyote, 30% wolf and 10% domestic dog. Coyotes have recently filled niches in the East once occupied by gray wolves and mountain lions. But they are not newcomers. They are native sons and daughters. ~ Sharman Apt Russell